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Mozart in the Jungle

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Mozart in the Jungle
GenreComedy drama
Based onMozart in the Jungle: Sex, Drugs, and Classical Music
by Blair Tindall
Developed by
Starring
Theme music composerRoger Neill
Opening theme"Lisztomania" by Phoenix
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons4
No. of episodes40 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
Production locationsNew York City
Venice, Italy
Camera setupSingle camera
Running time26–30 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkAmazon Prime Video
ReleaseFebruary 6, 2014 (2014-02-06) –
February 16, 2018 (2018-02-16)

Mozart in the Jungle is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Roman Coppola, Jason Schwartzman, Alex Timbers, and Paul Weitz for the video-on-demand service Amazon Prime Video.[1] It received a production order in March 2014.

The story was inspired by Mozart in the Jungle: Sex, Drugs, and Classical Music, oboist Blair Tindall's 2005 memoir of her career in New York, playing various high-profile gigs with ensembles including the New York Philharmonic and the orchestras of numerous Broadway shows.[2] The series stars Gael García Bernal as Rodrigo, a character based on conductor Gustavo Dudamel,[3] alongside Lola Kirke, Malcolm McDowell, Saffron Burrows, Hannah Dunne, Peter Vack, and Bernadette Peters.

The first season premiered in full on December 23, 2014. Three more seasons, each ten episodes long, followed in 2015, 2016 and 2018, before Amazon announced the show's cancellation.

Cast

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Main cast

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  • Gael García Bernal as Rodrigo De Souza, the new conductor of the New York Symphony
  • Lola Kirke as Hailey Rutledge, an oboist with a yearning ambition to play with the New York Symphony. She develops a strong bond with Rodrigo as the series progresses.
  • Bernadette Peters as Gloria Windsor, the president of the New York Symphony (recurring, season 1; seasons 2–4)
  • Malcolm McDowell as Thomas Pembridge, the conductor emeritus of the New York Symphony
  • Saffron Burrows as Cynthia Taylor, a cellist with the New York Symphony
  • Hannah Dunne as Elizabeth "Lizzie" Campbell, Hailey's roommate and best friend
  • Peter Vack as Alex Merriweather, Hailey's dancer boyfriend (seasons 1–2)

Recurring cast

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  • Debra Monk as Betty Cragdale, the long-time oboist for the New York Symphony who instantly despises Hailey
  • Mark Blum as Union Bob, a piccolo player for the symphony and known for bringing up the union rules
  • Jennifer Kim as Sharon, Rodrigo's assistant
  • Joel Bernstein as Warren Boyd, the concertmaster for the symphony
  • Nora Arnezeder as Ana Maria, Rodrigo's estranged violinist wife
  • John Miller as Dee Dee, the drug-dealing percussionist of the New York Symphony
  • Rubio Qian as Triangle Tanya, the triangle player of the New York Symphony
  • Brennan Brown as Edward Biben, an orchestra board member
  • Gretchen Mol as Nina Robertson, the New York Symphony's lawyer who falls for Cynthia
  • Makenzie Leigh as Addison, Alex's dancing partner and roommate
  • Margaret Ladd as Claire, Thomas' ex-wife who dies after hearing his completed symphony
  • Jason Schwartzman as Bradford Sharpe, a classical music enthusiast and host of his own podcast, "B-Sharpe"
  • John Hodgman as Marlin Guggenheim, a purported billionaire infatuated with Hailey
  • Wallace Shawn as Winslow Elliott, a neurotic concert pianist
  • Tenoch Huerta Mejía as Manuel, Rodrigo's childhood friend
  • Dermot Mulroney as Andrew Walsh, a cello soloist who fraternizes with Hailey
  • Monica Bellucci as Alessandra, a reclusive Italian soprano living in Venice, Italy, also known as "La fiamma"
  • Ana María Martínez provides Alessandra's singing voice
  • Christian de Sica as Alessandra's manager
  • Bruce Davison as Hesby Ennis, a colleague of Thomas and Gloria
  • Sandro Isaack as Pavel, the orchestra's stagehand who becomes friendly with Gloria
  • Philip Jackson Smith as Mike Margusa, a friend of Hailey's whom she recruits to work for the orchestra
  • Christian Coulson as Sebastian, a member of Andrew Walsh's orchestra who later becomes a member of Hailey's orchestra and moves to her apartment
  • Cole Escola as Shawn, Hailey's roommate and a member of her orchestra who also becomes Sebastian's boyfriend
  • Miles Robbins as Danny/Erase Face, a DJ with whom Thomas collaborates
  • Matthew Maher as Alan Lawford, a colleague of Thomas at the Queens' Philharmonic
  • Santino Fontana as Mozart, to whom Rodrigo frequently talks in his imagination
  • David Turner as Liberace, briefly replaces Mozart as Rodrigo's muse

Episodes

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Main article: List of Mozart in the Jungle episodes
SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
110February 6, 2014 (2014-02-06)December 23, 2014 (2014-12-23)
210December 30, 2015 (2015-12-30)
310December 9, 2016 (2016-12-09)
410February 16, 2018 (2018-02-16)

Production

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The many oboe solos played by the protagonist and other characters throughout the series are performed by Lelie Resnick, principal oboist of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, while the character of Rodrigo is loosely based on Gustavo Dudamel, the Venezuelan music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.[4] Dudamel coached García Bernal before the latter conducted, in the character of Rodrigo, for a real performance of the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, scenes of which were used for the second season opener.[5] Dudamel has a cameo in that episode, acting as a stagehand trying to convince Rodrigo to move to Los Angeles. Other musicians with cameos in the series are violinist Joshua Bell, pianists Emanuel Ax and Lang Lang, composers Anton Coppola and Nico Muhly, Broadway star Brian d'Arcy James and conductors Alan Gilbert and Bernard Uzan. Blair Tindall, oboist and writer of the book on which the series is based, also appears in a cameo.[6] Much of the original music for the show (most notably "Impromptu", and other work presented within the show's continuity as by Thomas Pembridge) is composed by contemporary composer Missy Mazzoli.[7] For Pembridge's more experimental music in Season 4, the show turned to another female composer, Laura Karpman.[8] Irish composer and conductor Eímear Noone served as Lola Kirke's real-life conducting coach in season four.[9] Interior shots of the home concert hall were filmed at the Performing Arts Center at SUNY Purchase.[10]

Focus on women composers and conductors

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In addition to behind-the-scenes contributions from Mazzoli, Karpman and Noone, the theme of underrepresented, and unjustly forgotten and overlooked women composers and conductors in the world of classical music became central in the show's third and fourth seasons. Historical female composers who appear in the show include Vítězslava Kaprálová, Isabella Leonarda, Nannerl Mozart and Fanny Mendelssohn. The fourth season featured Pulitzer Prize-winning contemporary composer Caroline Shaw appearing as herself (and the characters perform one of her actual compositions).[9] Composer Paola Prestini also makes a brief cameo in season four, playing one of her own compositions.[11]

Reception

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Critical response

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Critical response of Mozart in the Jungle
SeasonRotten TomatoesMetacritic
191% (35 reviews)[12]73 (20 reviews)[13]
288% (17 reviews)[14]71 (5 reviews)[15]
3100% (16 reviews)[16]84 (5 reviews)[17]
4100% (10 reviews)[18]84 (5 reviews)[19]

The first season of the series received positive reviews. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gave the series a 'fresh' 91% rating based on 35 critic reviews, with the critical consensus "Though confined to the isolated world of classical music, Mozart in the Jungle's Gael Garcia Bernal makes this charming little show sing."[20] Metacritic gave the series a 73 out of 100, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[21] Cory Barker, writing for TV.com, praised the series. "What works so well is that Mozart isn't afraid to throw you into a world you're likely unfamiliar with, but it doesn't swim so far into the deep end that you immediately drown in jargon and distanced dramatic stakes."[22] Robert Lloyd, writing for the Los Angeles Times, also lauded the first season. He stated that "Characters who were mouthpieces for attitudes start to seem like people, more complicated than a thumbnail description can accommodate. You grow interested in what will become of them without expecting or rooting for any particular outcome."[23] Kory Grow of Rolling Stone also praised the series: "Thanks to quirky scripts and a smart ensemble cast... it comes off whimsical without ringing off-pitch."[24]

Tim Goodman of The Hollywood Reporter also gave the first season a positive review: "Bernal is both likable and magnetic, and makes the eclectic maestro surge on the screen. He alone is worth streaming the series, but, thankfully, there's a lot more going on here."[25] Brian Lowry, writing for Variety, also lauded the series: "While Mozart is surely a niche confection, the show generally shines by proving long on charm even when it's short on laughs."[26] In a more mixed review, Jeff Jensen of Entertainment Weekly gave the series a B−.

Some socially-minded critics have praised the show's push for gender equity, while others have critiqued the "almost all-white orchestra and main cast" as unrealistic, given the prevalence of East Asian musicians in real-life orchestras.[27]

Accolades

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Year Award Category Recipients Result Ref.
2015 Imagen Foundation Awards Best Actor – Television Gael García Bernal Won [28]
2016 Golden Globe Awards Best Television Series – Comedy Mozart in the Jungle Won [29]
Best Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy Gael Garcia Bernal Won
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) and Animation Thomas Varga, Andy D'Addario, Bill Higley, Chris Navarro (for "Nothing Resonates Like Rhinoceros Foreskin") Won [30]
Imagen Foundation Awards Best Actor – Television Gael García Bernal Won [31]
2017 Golden Globe Awards Best Television Series – Comedy Mozart in the Jungle Nominated [32]
Best Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy Gael Garcia Bernal Nominated
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series (Half-Hour) Tobias Datum (for "Now I Will Sing") Nominated [33]
Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Program (Half-Hour or Less) Tommaso Ortino, Susanna Codognato, Letizia Santucci (for "Now I Will Sing") Nominated
Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) and Animation Andy D'Addario, Gary Gegan, Marco Fiumara (for "Now I Will Sing") Won

References

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  1. ^ Gans, Andrew (March 12, 2014). "Amazon Studios Picks Up Mozart in the Jungle Pilot Starring Bernadette Peters". Playbill. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
  2. ^ Burton, Louise (December 11, 2013). "Amazon's TV Pilot 'Mozart in the Jungle,' with Joshua Bell and Malcolm McDowell, Is a Tale of Sex, Drugs and…Classical Music?". Classicalite. Archived from the original on January 21, 2014. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
  3. ^ Ramey, Corinne (December 6, 2013). "Amazon Studios' 'Mozart in the Jungle' Offers New View of Music World". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
  4. ^ Ng, David (February 10, 2014). "'Mozart in the Jungle': Is 'Rodrigo' a parody of Gustavo Dudamel?". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on December 28, 2020. Retrieved January 26, 2016.
  5. ^ Swed, Mark (July 31, 2015). "L.A. Phil, Dudamel dive into the 'Mozart in the Jungle' act at the Bowl". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on December 28, 2020. Retrieved January 26, 2016.
  6. ^ Midgette, Anne (December 30, 2015). "Mozart in the Jungle finds its feet". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 26, 2016.
  7. ^ "Missy Mazzoli: About Missy". Archived from the original on August 7, 2017. Retrieved September 25, 2017.
  8. ^ "'Mozart in the Jungle' tackles gender disparity in music". Archived from the original on December 28, 2020. Retrieved May 28, 2018.
  9. ^ a b "How Mozart In The Jungle Joined Time's Up". Archived from the original on December 28, 2020. Retrieved April 18, 2018.
  10. ^ "Amazon's Mozart In The Jungle Films At SUNY Purchase". Harrison Daily Voice. September 8, 2016. Archived from the original on December 28, 2020. Retrieved May 14, 2017.
  11. ^ Michael Cooper (February 18, 2018). "Hear How Mozart in the Jungle Became a New-Music Showcase". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 28, 2020. Retrieved April 18, 2018.
  12. ^ "Mozart in the Jungle: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
  13. ^ "Mozart in the Jungle". Metacritic. Archived from the original on December 28, 2020. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
  14. ^ "Mozart in the Jungle: Season 2". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on December 28, 2020. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
  15. ^ "Mozart in the Jungle". Metacritic. Archived from the original on December 28, 2020. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
  16. ^ "Mozart in the Jungle: Season 3". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
  17. ^ "Mozart in the Jungle". Metacritic. Archived from the original on December 28, 2020. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
  18. ^ "Mozart in the Jungle: Season 4". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on December 28, 2020. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
  19. ^ "Mozart in the Jungle". Metacritic. Archived from the original on December 28, 2020. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
  20. ^ "Mozart in the Jungle: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on December 28, 2020. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
  21. ^ "Mozart in the Jungle – Season 1". Metacritic. Archived from the original on December 28, 2020. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
  22. ^ Barker, Cory (January 6, 2015). "4 Reasons Why You Should Binge-Watch Amazon's Mozart in the Jungle This Week". TV.com. Archived from the original on May 13, 2017. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
  23. ^ Lloyd, Robert (December 23, 2014). "Review 'Mozart in the Jungle' on Amazon gets good after woeful pilot". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on December 28, 2020. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
  24. ^ Grow, Kory (December 22, 2014). "Bittersweet Symphony: Inside the Sex and Drugs of 'Mozart in the Jungle'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
  25. ^ Goodman, Tim (December 23, 2014). "'Mozart In the Jungle': TV Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on December 28, 2020. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
  26. ^ Lowry, Brian (December 17, 2014). "TV Review: Amazon's 'Mozart in the Jungle'". Variety. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
  27. ^ "What We Love And Hate About 'Mozart In The Jungle'". NPR. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  28. ^ "2015 Imagen Awards Winners, Honorees & Nominees". The Imagen Foundation. Archived from the original on September 18, 2020. Retrieved September 29, 2016.
  29. ^ "Winners & Nominees 2016". Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Archived from the original on June 23, 2016. Retrieved September 29, 2016.
  30. ^ "68th Emmy Awards Nominees and Winners". Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved September 29, 2016.
  31. ^ "Winners of 31st Annual Imagen Awards Announced". The Imagen Foundation. September 10, 2016. Retrieved September 29, 2016.
  32. ^ "Winners & Nominees 2017". Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Archived from the original on January 8, 2017. Retrieved December 12, 2016.
  33. ^ "69th Emmy Awards Nominees and Winners". Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Archived from the original on September 9, 2019. Retrieved July 22, 2017.
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